1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for and a method of recording a desired image on a photosensitive film and discharging a recorded photosensitive film to a developing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In an image recording apparatus, a recording drum rotates while reliably carrying thereon a photosensitive film which is cut into a sheet of a predetermined length, in synchronism with which an exposure head slides in a back-and-forth reciprocal movement substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the recording drum, whereby an image is reproduced on the sheet of the photosensitive film. The photosensitive film sheet on which the image is reproduced (hereinafter referred to as "recorded film sheet") is then conveyed to a developing machine where the film sheet is developed.
The developing machine must start development usually immediately following recording by the image recording of the recording apparatus. Hence, for the most part, the image recording apparatus and the automatic developing machine are used in linkage to each other. When linked to the image recording apparatus, the automatic developing machine develops the recorded film sheets which are fed thereto by rotation of the recording drum of the image recording apparatus. To ensure this, the speed of feeding the recorded film sheets to the automatic developing machine must be the same as the rate at which development proceeds in the automatic developing machine. Since in most cases development consumes much greater time than image recording, the recording drum needs to rotate slowly while the recorded film sheets are being discharged from the image recording apparatus. Hence, recording or the next image must wait until developing of the recorded film sheets is completed, which is an obstacle in making maximum use of the image recording apparatus.